Kathleen Ridolfo
RFE/RL Iraq Report, Vol. 7, No. 4
January 30, 2004

Iraqi Finance Minister Kamil al-Kaylani has said that Iraqi officials will soon begin operating a regulatory body to oversee the disbursement of Iraqi reconstruction funds, including the $18.6 billion in U.S. funds for Iraq, ft.com reported on Jan. 28.

“All donor projects will be reviewed by the Iraqi Strategic Review Board to ensure that it corresponds to our assessment of Iraq’s needs. It’s an Iraqi decision,” al-Kaylani said. He added that the review board will begin operating in two weeks, and will report to the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council. The board will include representatives from the Iraqi central bank, and the Planning and Finance ministries. The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) announced the establishment of the Iraqi-led coordination mechanism on Dec. 10.